CHECK and ink marks found on two ballots cast by voters of Argao town and Mandaue City invalidated them, resulting in their rejection by the Vote Counting Machines (VCM).
A 77-year-old voter, Maxima Ramos, said she did not know that check marks were not allowed by the Commission on Elections (Comelec).
Ramos cast her vote unassisted at the Colawin Elementary School in Argao town in southern Cebu Monday morning. “Ako rang gi-chekan. Wala ko kahibaw nga i-shade. (I checked it. I didn’t know that I was supposed to shade it),” she said.
In Mandaue City, Rosie Marababol who is in her 60s accidentally left an ink mark at the back portion of her ballot. Marababol’s ballot was fed four times into the VCM but it was rejected by the unit.
Members of the Board of Election Inspections (BEIs) later decided to set aside her ballot and place it inside a separate folder.
The incident was also recorded on their logbook which Marababol also signed for documentation./Correspondent Carmel Loise Matus and Day Desk Editor Doris C. Bongcac
Elections in Cebu peaceful so far, but technical glitches occur.
Senior Supt. Clifford Gairanod, Cebu provincial police office director, said the elections were generally peaceful but was marred by reports of technical glitches in vote-counting machines (VCMs) in some towns.
Gairanod said there was no violent incident recorded during the conduct of the election, though there were verbal tussles between rival politicians in some areas like Dumanjug and Tuburan towns.
VCM glitches were reported in Gabi Cordova, Carmen, Asturias, Talisay, San Remegio, Poro, Bantayan, Daanbantayan, and Sibonga. But he said VCM problems were being fixed by the Commission on Elections.
In Dalaguete town, Senior Insp. Dexter Basirgo said at least 11 ballots for Cordova town were accidentally included in the ballots for barangay Holomaynon, Dalaguete.
The incident did not disrupt the voting process in Holomaynon, but he did not know if the incident had caused problems in Cordova town.